Palermo to Tripani

 Just wrapped up first half day in Tripani. The strip outside our AirBnB is lively and reminiscent of what was in Palermo, just a half mile from our hotel. Nearing midnight, not only are cafes and bars open, but there are vendors out and retail is open as well. The bookstore had a line and kids of all ages filled the streets. Ashkon was taken aback to see kids his age smoking cigarettes. It is quite prevalent in Sicily with vape pens being the preferred choice in Palermo versus the old fashion cigarette in Tripani. 

We arrived at our AirBnB at 6, with the one-bedroom being up two flights of narrow stairs. 

Chasing the sunset we dodged and weaved the aggressive Italian drivers on our way to the salt flats, large ponds of what was soon to be harvested salt, flanked by massive mounds of the white crystal. We were denied entry to wander the salt due to not having a reservation, but Kian and Nada snuck in with a wedding party to snag some choice photos, while Ashkon and I waited with a pride of stray kittens for a table overlooking the salty view at sunset. I had cous cous with seafood, a traditional dish in these parts, which was solid but left my fingers smelling of fish from peeling the bright red prawns. 

On the way back we declined the shady parking, which resembled a poorly lit storage facility 2 km from our Airbnb, and circled the neighborhood battling others for a coveted spot. I will wake up at 8 in the morning to feed the meter and avoid yet another ticket after escaping one from the authorities when I accidentally go the wrong way on a one-way street to grab a parking spot. On the way in we had our best gelato to date, an Italian man stepping in with an assist when Ashkon was overlooked after they called his number. We lamented our decision to not go with the Sicilian specialty of a gelato brioche sandwich. 

On the way in from Palermo, we stopped in Corleone, where The Godfather 1 was based, but not filmed. We walked the quiet town, squeezed the rental through the narrowest of streets, and trekked to a waterfall that given the drought was never going to include water. Kian hopped a stone wall for a photo op but was greeted by five barking dogs and we raced off back to the car, snagging some local limoncello on the way out. 

The next post will be a summary of our 2.5 days in Palermo.